Hello, and Welcome…
Back to where it all began
As a kid, I Ioved to be by the water and dream of becoming a full time artist.
The amazing colour and artistry of Walt Disney Classics blossomed this dream.
However, unfortunately there is a however, in high school my childhood dream dissipated. Art programs, when I was in high school, were dropped and commercial art required a little thing called Math! Let’s just say, Math and I do not get along. To make matters worse, a dark and evil subject known as ‘New Math’ was introduced. The lack of understanding of this ‘New Math’ held me back…. still does to this day. For example, ‘If a chicken and-a-half, lay an egg-and-a-half, in a day and-a-half, how long does it take a money with a wooden leg to kick the seeds out of a dill pickle?’ Clearly – I was stumped. This rocky road of Math persuaded me to change career paths.
By high school my dream of becoming a commercial artist fell away because, in the 60’s, art programs were dropped and commercial art meant – ‘Math!’… which became even more difficult when a dark and evil monster, a.k.a. ‘New Math’, was spreading amongst schools across the country – and destroying My Dream.“I just didn’t get it.” I was caught in the monster’s wasteland between common sense and no calculator.
Those were the days.
So, I moved on with life, in all directions. Having a loving and caring personality, I thought nursing would be the answer. I studied for one year but being a nano-sensitive girl, nursing turned out to be the wrong answer. Strike two for me.
I fell into hairstyling. It was creative and social, it got me by for nineteen years.
In 1980, on a whim, I bought some drawing paper and charcoal. ‘The Girl With Angel Eyes’ came to life and my passion for art was reignited. She is the reminder of my beginnings and I love her still today.
In 1981, a mutual friend introduced me to Ron, my husband and soul mate. Together, we decided to catch our dreams. God works in many mysterious ways.
The next three years I went to Capilano College, in British Columbia and received a diploma in Commercial Art. After graduating, computers were just entering the scene. But, the computer’s magical ‘Resize’ command was not soon enough for me. The Math component of Commercial Art was unavoidable and I still struggled with the number of those darn seeds in that pickle. That rocky road, led me to change career paths again.
I experimented with reflexology and financial services but never found my place. Heed to the proverb: ‘Life is short, and art is long‘ (Hippocrates).
Next.
There is so much knowledge to acquire that a life time is not sufficient. The calling to express my passion for art could no longer be ignored.
Enamoured with watercolour and photography, my dream to be an artist once again was blossoming. I began to paint, study, practice, express and discover myself. In the early 90’s, I went back to school for digital print and web publishing. I don’t need a slide rule to know what looks good… and who cares about those darn seeds in that pickle of life anyway? In 2010, drawn to experiment with another medium; I chose acrylic painting. This took some transition time to master. Since 2019, my new found joy is Plein Air (outdoor painting) with oil paint.
I am a visual artist, difficulties and all, and I embrace the ups and downs. I currently reside in beautiful Qualicum Beach, B.C., located on Vancouver Island.
I invite you to peruse my watercolour, acrylic, and oil pieces by viewing my online gallery here.